Dive Brief:
- Sugary drink ads could see a makeover in San Francisco as city officials unanimously voted for several ordinances that would mandate health warnings on ads for sugary drinks. The proposal is "believed to be the first of its kind in the U.S.," reports The Wall Street Journal.
- The ordinances have two more stops before becoming law: the San Francisco Board of Supervisors next week, followed by the mayor's office.
- The passage of these ordinances comes not long after San Francisco city officials turned down a proposed tax on sugary drinks.
Dive Insight:
Should the ordinances pass, ads for sugary beverages, such as billboards, would have to read, "WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay. This is a message from the City and County of San Francisco." Other ordinances ban ads for sugary drinks on city-owned property, such as public parks and bus shelters, and would disallow city funds being used to purchase sugary drinks.
The warning labels worked for cigarettes, and they should likely work for sugary drinks as well, though it won't happen overnight, said Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Supervisor who sponsored the ad warning proposal.
Concerns about high sugar levels in processed food products has consumers turning to fresher, less processed foods and healthier products with lower amounts of sugar. That has been particularly detrimental to the soda industry, though these laws would affect other sugary drinks, such as juices, flavored milks, and energy drinks.